Polartropica lit up the Troubadour last week (Nov. 9) as the headlining act. Presented by Coconut Spaceship Records and Sid The Cat, the show was an almost seamless affair. After being left off the weekly schedule by the Troubadour, only to be promoted hours before the show on the Troubadour’s Stories after fans read Polartropica’s post and took to the iconic venue’s Instagram to ask questions on this post that now has comments turned off — Polartropica still showed why she is one of the most engaging independent artists in Los Angeles.
If you haven’t had the chance to see Polartropica live, you are missing out on the extravagance that is the sparkle and theatrics. One of the first Taiwanese LGBTQ+ artists to take charge of Los Angeles’ queer indie-pop scene, Polar Wu, the front vocals and mastermind behind Polartopica, continues to grow through the pushback of LA’s male-dominated music scene.
Polartopica’s performance was dynamic and quirky from start to finish. Clad in a red leotard and pink hair bow, she premiered the video for her new song, “What’s Your Fantasy,” transporting concert goers on a sonic acid trip to Alice’s sensual wonderland. Following the premiere, vocalist Jett Kwong joined the band on stage for a short Guzheng cover of “What’s Your Fantasy” alongside producer TXVX.
The crowd was all smiles as Polartopica commanded the stage at their first headlining show at the Troubadour. Between the theatrics and costume changes, Polartopica brings out singer Stephanie Yanez to do a surprise pop punk cover of the Sailor Moon theme song.
There was so much energy radiating through Wu as the lights beamed off her silver stage streamers and highlighted her bright pink cheek blush. It was a great performance on a cold L.A. night and honestly it’s the Troubadour’s loss.
Reading Polartopica’s instagram post the day of the show was disheartening. The Troubadour is known for showcasing up-and-coming talent and music legends, but they did themselves a disservice to themselves by “accidentally” leaving out Polartropica from all their promotional avenues.
Social media promotion on your own feeds is free and to “mistakenly” not post one of your POC acts on your “this week’s schedule” post unfortunately feels more like an intentional thought than an intern mishap.
Speaking to fans after the show, many of their friends thought the show was sold-out because the venue didn’t let people know that online purchases had ended but tickets were available at the door. This can cause fans to assume the show was sold-out.
Either way, let’s all send some encouraging words to Polartropica.
Stream Polartopica’s new song “What’s Your Fantasy” below.
And Troubadour team, please do better.
Words & Photos by Asha Moné
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